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Early Uses for Benzene

Benzene is an organic chemical compound first isolated in 1825 by Michael Faraday. Although Faraday was the first to discover the compound, the name "benzin" was coined in 1833 by German chemist Eilhard Mitscherlich. In modern times, benzene is a known carcinogen and its use is limited to industrial chemicals. Prior to government regulation, however, the uses of benzene ranged from strange to downright dangerous.

  1. Coffee

    • In 1903, German coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius introduced the first decaffeinated coffee. The coffee, called Sanka, was decaffeinated using benzene as a solvent. The coffee beans were first steamed in a saltwater solution. Benzene was then added to strip the caffeine from the coffee beans. Although Kraft Foods acquired and still distributes Sanka coffee in the United States, the decaffeinating process no longer uses benzene.

    Solvent

    • Benzene was used extensively as a solvent in the early 19th century. Benzene was used throughout all aspects of the rubber-making process, especially in tire factories. Despite early reports that benzene caused anemia and other illnesses in factory workers, its use as a solvent expanded greatly during World War I. Benzene became a primary solvent for artificial leather, glue, paint, dry cleaning and motor fuels. Although benzene is proven to cause illness, it is still used in many modern industrial industries.

    Explosives and Napalm

    • Benzene was a key ingredient in early versions of napalm. As the organic compound grew in popularity during the advent of World War I, the military experimented with benzene-based explosives and weapons. In both modern and early versions of napalm, benzene is used as a thickening agent. Benzene was also used in early forms of explosives due to its high flammability.

    Gasoline

    • Prior to the 1950s, benzene was used as an anti-knock additive to gasoline. However, the percentage was not government-regulated, and fuel could contain up to several percents worth of benzene. Although tetraethyl lead replaced benzene in the 1950s, environmental concerns caused a global switch to unleaded gasoline. Benzene is an ingredient in modern gasoline, though government regulation limits its presence to 1 or 2 percent.

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